Blind Sight
by VampChocKami
Summary: "I'm...in love with your dead brother!""Don't you dare leave! Not again!" Tragedy strikes four close knit boys and the two survivors can't look each other in the eye anymore. But it seems these boys are closer than they thought when what they loved most and thought was lost forever comes back to haunt them.
1. Prologue

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIK!

So I came up with a new story and decided to post it today in celebration of Marik's special day, seeing as it's all about him!... and Bakura… and Ryou… and Melvin… -_-'

Okay, so not _all_ about him but this _is_ a Thiefship, seeing as I have slowly fallen in love with this pairing and subsequently Deathshipping strangely. So you can see where this extremely angsty plot is going to go eventually.

Warnings

BL (boyxboy, malexmale, guyxguy (just so you get it) and it should go without saying that if you don't like that type of thing you should stay away from it)

It gets a little scary and scarry later.

Character (temporary) deaths.

I think that's it. If I think of any more I'll let you know

_le Disclaimer:_ I have no ownage of Yu-Gi-Oh but plenty of ownage of this story line (wanna know how I know? I checked)

So without further ado, babble and chat here's the prologue for Blind Sight.

* * *

"This has got to be_ the_ dumbest, most dangerous and most likely to fail plan we have ever had, my friend… I have never thought something could be so much fun." An accented voice broke the deadly still of the night.

"You might want to grab onto Mr Slash 'Kura." An insane voice laughed.

"Oi! Let's not bring objects of affection into this, _Vinny_."

"Whoa, let's not get touchy on the nicknames, okay? I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted my deranged friend. So, are you ready?"

A dark chuckle echoed through the ominous night. It faded into the heavy evening.

"Do you really need to ask Bakura?" the violet eyed teen asked disbelievingly as he sent a questioning gaze to a hooded form beside him.

"…I suppose not Melvin," a grin emerged from the hood, as glaringly white as the hair the dark garment concealed. "It _is_ you."

The two boys shared a conspiratorial glance and smirk.

o0o0o0o0o0o

50 days.

It took fifty _bloody_ days to find my brother and Melvin, his best friend.

To find their… bodies.

Marik and I were frozen.

A month and a half of waiting, of _hoping _that our brothers would just waltz in through the front door at midnight. Laughing wildly because they knew there were no parents to bother.

And Bakura would pause to watch me stroll down the stairs sleepily before marching right up to me to mess up my already messed up from sleep hair, muttering about how bloody cute I was and how bloody unbelievable it was that I wasn't into girls. I'd stopped bothering to correct him ages ago.

If the two friends decided to stay at the Touzoku residence Melvin would push the door closed behind him and ruffle my hair as well on his way to my brother's room. I would pick up the phone to let Marik know the extent of the injuries they'd somehow acquired. We'd theorise about how the cuts and bruises came about but that never got too far because we were too afraid to be close to the truth. I'd get a similar call vice versa.

I never used to hope for that call as much as I did before we knew they were missing.

I never used to dread a call as much as one and a half months later.

I hate calls.

Like the one to dad to organise the funeral not long after.

Marik and I stayed by each other's side throughout both dark events but we never spoke.

What words -?

What could we say?

I know what we both _wanted_ to say.

_Sorry._

_Sorry my brother got your brother killed._

_Sorry that, because of my sibling's _idiocy_… you're even more alone._

_Just…_

_Sorry..._

* * *

If you were crying I did a great job. If you were sad I did a good one. If you felt nothing then you're heartless and incapable of love you ice cold sculpture.

Because you at least felt sad, right? I mean, my writing is at least that good, right? Right? … guys…?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it despite the very depressing thought of Bakura and Melvin dying (unless you're Yugi, Yami, Joey and several other good guys and or slighted/injured/death-hugged civilians, then it wouldn't be so depressing would it?)

Oh, I'm using Yami Marik's abridged name because it makes things easier. I couldn't take it seriously at first but eventually he just became Melvin in my head so I hope it doesn't bother you too much.

I'd like to apologise for what will probably be erratic format.

I'm visiting my dad for two weeks so there will be upload issues.

Previous rules apply for this story. If you haven't read my previous story, (it's a KaiJou, Seto/Joey, whatever you want to call it. Check it out if you like genetic mod story lines :D) then you don't know the rule. This will apply for all my stories.

Rule: After the prologue is posted the first chapter will be posted the day of the first review or the day after and that day will become update day.

Please tell me what you think regardless of this rule and its effects and please don't leave me in an empty room and _say_ something. Like, please. That sounds like begging… I'm sorry for that.

Seez you when I next update. Ciao


	2. Chapter 1

Omigawwwsh this took forEVAH.

It wouldn't have taken so long if I didn't have to get my hair did and that took _hours_.

But it's never looked better so I'm not complaining

So here is chapter one, it would have been up earlier but, as I said, my hair needed to look pretty plus I have written and rewritten this 3 times and read it at least 7 so I got a leetle bit frustrated with it.

Thank you Nani-1-9-5 for the review that spurred this late early update. You read right, it _is_ Thiefshipping… _and_ Deathshipping. I've said I've fallen in love with both and they sort of go hand in hand for me. I've tried separating them but it's hard and there'd be less of a story to tell. And if this is both of those ships then I can't exactly get rid of any of the characters, can I? Sorry for the chatter, I'm the _slightest_ bit talkative. Glad you like it and I hope that clears it up.

Then again, with all the talking I do I'm rather vague so… probably not…

I like to blame this misunderstanding on the fact that I am forced to choose only two genres to describe my story. I personally think this could fit into: angst, crime, drama, family, friendship, horror, hurt/comfort, mystery, Sci-fi...

Anyway, that's a long enough rant, on to the story, enjoy.

_le Disclaimer_: I have no ownage of Yu-Gi-Oh but plenty of ownage of this story line (wanna know how I know? I checked)

* * *

_Sometimes it felt like waves crashing into me, and my strength was decided by how long I could stay afloat. – Marik_

**Chap 1**

**Waves: Remnants and Memories**

One Week Later

It hurt to look in the mirror.

And that _sucks_ because that's my favourite part of my morning routine.

But it brought back too many memories of playful bathroom arguments and a… face.

_His_ face.

It also hurt to look at Ryou.

You'd think we'd cling to each other afterward, especially Ryou, but it was, in fact, the complete opposite. We couldn't stand being near each other. I couldn't bear to look my _best_ friend in the eye.

And yet, when we decided to sit at different tables, we picked ones that were an upward glance away from each other. And against our better judgement we glanced up a lot.

Like we wanted to remember. Like we wanted to remind ourselves that _that is the face of the guy who killed my brother, got him killed, whatever! It was _his_ fault. If they weren't friends… if they hadn't met! And I bet it was _his_ idea that got them both m-_

We simultaneously looked back down. Me, at my half-eaten food and he, at his book. The fire we'd watched grow in each other's eyes dulled with the reality of what had happened battering us with a wave of emotion that we both just barely avoided drowning in.

A sniff I somehow heard over the chatter that is teenagers at lunch time drew a lavender eye peeking through my blonde bangs to the pale haired boy across from me.

Correction: _I_ just barely avoided drowning.

As I dropped my gaze once more a shadow caught it. My head shot up and swung to follow it.

_Was that…?_

My startled eyes rested on a group of laughing teens. Two of them, a blonde and brunette, were having a heated argument, over something stupid I supposed because the remaining three teens were laughing uproariously. I skipped over the familiar faces but lingered on the shortest member. One with oddly coloured hair and a face that seemed to light up when he smiled.

_Yugi…_

That Monday

Ryou and I wandered into school together like old times, sans the laughter and friendly conversation. Somewhere between my brother's funeral and our first day back to school in a while the silence became awkward and… hostile.

We were immediately confronted with a short teary-eyed boy with multi-coloured hair.

He ran toward us. To hug us, console us, I didn't really care at the time.

"You're back! Are you sure you're ready? I'm so sorr-!" he abruptly halted, not only in the middle of his sentence but mid-stride as well. It almost seemed like something was holding him back. He paused, cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. He stood there for a few minutes, just breathing. We stood still too, sensing that he was gathering the courage to continue. We were bewildered but waited patiently.

He then took a shaky breath and did something completely unexpected.

"How long do you need?" he asked us simply. It didn't lack the previous care and concern as his earlier words but this was _Yugi_. Ryou and I _expected _to be clung to and comforted. Our jaws dropped in shock. Ryou was the first to recover.

"When-," he started unsteadily.

"When we can stand to lo-look at each other ag-ain…"

"We'll re-join you guys." I finished for Ryou, my voice hoarse from both lack of use and infrequent tears but I managed not to stutter.

I was surprised at Ryou's accurate full assessment of something I hadn't fully grasped. I noticed we kept glancing at each other and then turning away as if stung. My eyes _were_ stinging.

He teared up again but nodded firmly and, shrugging off his hesitance, hugged us anyway. He lingered and squeezed as if trying to force the bitter sadness out of our hearts, but that's okay, we expected it.

At lunch that day he gazed sadly at us but turned to inform our other friends of our agreement instead of calling us over like he did with Kaiba several minutes later.

Ryou and I, for once, refused to look at each other as we parted.

Present Time

A sharp ringing jolted me out of memory lane and I sighed before robotically making my way to my next class. I ignored the parallel movement, though lack of usual presence, of Ryou walking in the same direction.

All right! Extra math classes are after school at three starting next week Monday, I'll remind you again after class. Now, let's get started. We'll be working on trigonometric graphs…"

I watched the pale arm resting beside my much darker one. I observed his white wrist and hand as they fluidly twisted to take notes, imagining it slightly thicker, though still slim, the wrist flicking firmly to send something flying, harsh laughter following the movement.

I sighed. We were _all_ friends. So maybe I missed Bakura as much as Ryou did. I missed him as much as I hated him.

Ryou's hand took notes and I felt mine draw meaningless doodles. Echoes of forgotten habits. I tried not to feel the oppressive, quiet, cold _absence of presence_ weighing on my tanned back and felt my scars burn…

_**Something tickled my scalp and I sighed in exasperation.**_

"_**Whatever it is you guys are doing to my beautiful hair, stop it."**_

"_**Aw."**_

"_**Told you he'd notice he's very sensitive about his hair, you should see him get ready for school in the mornings."**_

"_**Hey!" I snapped at my brother when I felt him pull on some of my aforementioned hair. As I turned I felt something on my head turn with me.**_

"_**Huh?"**_

_**A snigger next to me brought my hands to my head.**_

"_**Ryou!" I snapped at my best friend next as I struggled with the fluffy object stuck in my hair.**_

"_**It's not funn-heehee." But suddenly it was as I caught sight of my friend.**_

_**I pointed at him, forgetting about my hair for a moment in favour of pointing out the large feather lodged in his messy, white locks. Something similar fluttered on to my desk. Keeping my laughter quiet only made it harder to hold in as Ryou's hands scrambled through his thick hair and tugged on the object.**_

_**Melvin and Bakura didn't bother with quiet, they roared in laughter.**_

"_**Bakura, Melvin, Marik, Ryou!" the teacher snapped our names out.**_

_**Once we'd calmed down she looked at us with steely eyes and pointed at the classroom door.**_

"_**If you think math is such a big joke you can laugh outside!" **_

_**We were given longing looks by our classmates as we traipsed into the hallway.**_

"_**Where did you even get these anyway?" I asked.  
"They're quill pens. I don't think local stationery stores sell them anymore, and you can't find feathers like these lying around." Ryou added, gesturing at the bright, multi-coloured decorations.**_

_**Our look-alikes looked at each other and simultaneously shrugged indifferently.**_

"_**Internet."**_

_**Our laughter rang down the halls.**_

I ran my hand through my hair, ghostly memories making my head itch, forehead resting on my forearm I tried to hold them back. My fingers dug into my scalp as eventually I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up abruptly.

"Could I please go to the bathroom ma'am!"

My head was down but I knew she would look surprised and vaguely annoyed at her lesson being interrupted.

"Um, yes. Okay Marik."

"Thank you." I muttered, my bag already repacked. I turned away from the slightly different movement Ryou made when I got up and made my way through the desks.

Looks like I survived the first wave but not the tsunami.

"Ah, Marik! You forgot-!"

The door cut her off mid-sentence. I didn't need physical evidence, she said I could go.

Still hiding my eyes I tried not to see that pale arm, that gentle hand… still… and clench into a fist I knew just as well.

(o)(0)(o)(0)(o)

Bakura's fist clenched as he threatened Melvin. Blood ran from where his unexpectedly delicate fingers concealed palms.

"_Be more careful_ you _twit_!" he whisper-shouted to his best friend of four years.

"Your fault for not bringing something thicker."

"Oh, because toting around a winter coat in the middle of bloody summer would be _so_ easy to do? I didn't have enough space in the bag! And what are _you_ even contributing? I'm the only reason we know what to do and I brought the tools."

"I got the plans."

"… Achievement. No wonder you're failing math."

Melvin snorted as they left the gate behind and cautiously approached the dark building, avoiding the cameras Bakura had scouted out earlier. Bakura quickly and skilfully scaled the wall in a camera's blind spot and attached a small device to the piece of surveillance equipment.

"Hope that works." He muttered as he dropped back down.

"It _is_ a wonder you're failing English though." Violet eyes gazed pointedly at the Brit.

"Bugger off! That wanker doesn't teach nearly as well as he thinks he does."

Melvin shrugged.

"_Or_ you just wanna see my brother chew on his pencil when he's thinking of the best way to describe something as simple as a metaphor to you. I know how _cute_ you find that." His voice was quavering with amusement.

"At least I have a _chance_ with your brother; Ryou is not nearly as gay as I make him out to be."

"Huh? Marik's not gay either."

"What! But he's so bloody effeminate!"

"He acts it but _we're_ the only skew ones 'Kura."

"Oh, bugger it all!"

There was a short silence.

"But if you… help, maybe…"

"Help with what?"

"Protecting him. Then I'll see what I can do for you…"

"Really?"

A nod.

"Well then, I suppose… if you don't hurt him, I can convince Ryou to bend a little."

Melvin raised an eyebrow as Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Don't even. Let's just help each other out, yeah?"

"Sounds good 'Kura."

Bakura rolled his eyes a second time and started approaching the building again.

"That nickname should be reserved for my brother's use and yet you all call me that. C'mon Vinny, and put your hood on, your hair is distracting."

* * *

You'll see what I mean about all those different genres as the story progresses. I know because I spent my super long hairdressing appointment planning this entire story out.

I should add that there will probably be some mild language and that I will be adding more pairings because they needed these elements so they weren't just wandering around without a way to solve their problems.

Reviewsauce onegai!

And MERRY CHRISTMAS!

24/12/2012 Mon


	3. Chapter 2

**?: Greetings. Sorry Kami's not here right now, she's-**

Kami: Sorry. I'm so sor-

**?: Really? Really!? You spend a week on thinking of twenty different ways to apologise, which should have been spent on writing the next chapter, and you choose one where you interrupt **_**me**_**-?!**

_**?: Shush Vamp! Kami is apologizing.**_

Kami: (in the background) sorry, sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm a terrible person…

**Vamp: Well it seems our host is broken so we'll introduce ourselves. You should know my name is Vamp by now. The annoying **_**other **_**is Choc.**

_**Choc: Hurray**_

**Vamp: (rolls eyes) We're fairly recent additions to her head so we've never appeared before now. The main point of Kami's incessant apologies is "sorry, we're late."**

_**Choc: Oh! This should be said first. **__**Nani-1-9-5, the Yamis died, sorry for being unclear and thank you so much for the cookies :D We here in Kami's head hope you had a merry Christmas as well :D… should I add the happy new year part? We're about a week in…**_

Kami: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…

_le Disclaimer_: I have no ownage of Yu-Gi-Oh but plenty of ownage of this story line (wanna know how I know? I checked)

* * *

_I never needed to notice the grey. But now the solid black and white of my world was swirling and running… grey was all I could see… - Ryou_

**Chap 1**

**Colours: Black and White**

I clenched my fist when he ran.

Then reached over to pluck my pencil from my closing fist before it snapped.

Rage.

A disease I had never had the displeasure of falling prey to. Something else, I was just now finding, Bakura had protected me from. The loneliness and emptiness, both hit when mum died, but Bakura had refused to let anything else.

My fingernails dug into my hand.

Never again.

It took a while to notice that Bakura refused to let me get hurt after that. He did a marvellous job. There was rarely a time when I felt discomfort. Therefore I grew to be feather-soft and Bakura became rock-hard. I was the sweet, white, soft core that everyone loves and Bakura was the rough, dark, hard shell people forced their way through to get to me.

A coconut.

It was a comical, cheesy metaphor but it got the point across.

For the past seven years Bakura was my shield.

The hard, tough, outer shell of our relationship that never cried.

Before mum died Bakura cried.

He seemed to love to cry. For every cut, scrape or bruise, he'd cry, long and loud and without abandon. He'd keep getting himself into those situations though. I'd always been the good child and he, the troublemaker. Back then he was just, louder about it.

That changed one week before our birthday. That was the last day he cried.

The last time was silent. It was completely opposite to how he used to cry. His eyes were red and his cheeks were wet but he didn't make a sound, like he didn't even know he was crying. In a long embrace with our father where we stood completely still he looked at me with that tear-stained face and contrasting silence and his tears... stopped.

He just stared at me until our father let us go.

That night I couldn't shut my eyes. I stared blankly at the stark white wall beside my bed, hoping the darkness of sleep would swallow me already.

"Ryou? You awake?"

I wanted to answer but the words wouldn't leave my throat. A few minutes later Bakura decided I was asleep as I'd always answer when he called.

"I'm going to protect you Ryou."

I frowned at the blank wall. Protect me?

"You don't know how you looked today when... we heard. It was like you were... dead inside. But I get it now, you've never really been hurt before, and what happened to mum... Hurt for you to hear."

There was a long silence after my eyes widened in surprise. My bed rustled and I felt a new weight on it. I hurriedly shut my eyes and steadied my breathing, my heart racing as I attempted to gain the illusion of sleep.

Bakura lay down and pulled the covers over himself. He hugged me tightly to him like the teddy bears he'd refused to clutch over the years.

"I don't like it when you're hurt Ryou."

He burrowed his face into my white hair, his voice shook a little.

I'll be here to fight your nightmares little brother."

I lay there for a minute. Then slowly turned to him, still pretending to be asleep and snuggled into his chest, sighing lightly. He stiffened suddenly before clinging to me.

He said he was there to protect me but honestly I didn't think I needed it. I knew he did, though. He needed something to protect, something to assure him of his strength. If he knew he had something to defend he could make himself strong enough to defend it.

Both my hair and Bakura's pyjama top were damp that night.

"...ou. Ryou!"

My head jerked up, my hair swinging into my eyes. I brushed it back in time to see a retreating shaggy-haired blonde.

"English."

"Huh?"

The figure turned slightly and Joey repeated himself.

"Ya got English next, hurry up."

I felt a vague, half-hearted urge to call after him to wait up. To stuff my books in my bag and run to catch up so we could walk to our English class together. It flashed past with just a twitch of my fingers.

Echoes of forgotten habits.

I sighed instead and sluggishly dropped my stationery inside my bag. I looked up to find myself alone in the classroom, even the teacher was gone. I vaguely remembered this being her free period and her usually getting a coffee before returning to the room. I closed my eyes and put my hand over them. They ached for some reason. Then they burned behind the darkness of my eyelids.

I never saw the world as black. Bakura did that for me. Now my white world was greying and I didn't understand anything anymore.

Like the deeper, inner meanings I read in books I was beginning to see the darker connotations of life. I couldn't brightly read the world as right and assume the wrong was out of reach.

Bakura was the ten foot pole separating it from me, by becoming part of it.

Bakura did everything he could for me, he loved me, he was the best brother anyone could want and I'd often let it slide when people said he was a no good punk. I'd resigned myself to the fact that he was going to fail in life and I would be the kind, successful brother who bailed his ungrateful arse out of jail, conveniently forgetting that I drove him there.

_I hate myself._

I suddenly lowered my hand and opened my eyes.

Odd. I thought someone had been touching me. As my eyes widened I realised what I'd thought was true... and false.

Surprised chocolate brown eyes out of a pale face stared into my similar appearance.

Not only surprised, I saw hints of guilt and sorrow in them as well. I recoiled in shock and so did the pair of eyes. It was already fading before I blinked and saw nothing but an empty classroom once more.

"'Kura…?" I whispered blankly.

"Bakura?" I said again, a little frantically. A silence greeted my questions. There was a brief feeling of someone touching my arm but when I swung around wildly I was met with air.

"Bakura!" I shouted desperately. My heart was racing and the tears I'd felt approaching were running with miserable abandon down my face. I was sobbing and drawing in a shaky breath to call out again when the clicking of heels startled me into turning to the door.

Her green eyes looked astonished behind her darkly framed glasses; they suddenly turned concerned when she saw my face.

"Ry-?" The door cut her off for the second time that day and she had to dance skilfully to prevent a coffee spillage as I shoved past her and ran down the hall.

I finally stopped, panting, in front of my English classroom door.

"…at sentence in indirect speech… Tristan."

As Tristan's voice drifted through the cracks in the closed door I glanced inside.

I didn't have the same English class as Bakura; he had Marik to help him there. No, I shared an English class with Melvin Ishtar, the… more eccentric brother.

**I rolled my eyes and snorted as Melvin wrote and illustrated a poor knock knock joke. He glanced sideways at me, surprised. I focused on the teacher again. My eyes were drawn however to his dark, coarse hands that held a pencil gently, as if it were made of a fine glass and could shatter if he pressed too hard. Observing the muscles that strained against his uniform slightly I wasn't surprised.**

**Wandering eyes Ryou. Wandering eyes.**

**Bakura would be delighted at the opportunity to make a comment.**

**I realised something else.**

**He held Marik like he held that pencil. Gently, carefully, with a tender concern like his little brother's skin would scar if he was brushed against too roughly.**

**It also struck me that he did it while looking like he was out to kill his sibling with the death-hugs that certainly seemed capable of permanent injur-**

**My thoughts cut off as he gently lifted the pencil tip off the paper, giving me a clear view of a series of pictures of Mr Hamil talking until blue in the face and then his head exploding.**

**I rolled my eyes again and smirked but shook it off to glance sternly at him and write a message on my book.**

_**That's mean.**_

**He raised an eyebrow then turned to his drawings. He scribbled underneath them then angled the paper so I could see the words.**

_**You thought it was funny just now.**_

**I sniffled and bent over my book again.**

_**Did not. What you drew was crude.**_

**He snorted.**

_**Doesn't mean you liked it any less.**_

_**I'm not in the habit of being an arse like some people.**_

**He grinned before writing again.**

_**But you sure do love ass**_

**He paused then added to it, like an afterthought.**

…_**es like me**_

**I frowned at him.**

_**Wanker **_

**He winced.**

"**That's bad isn't it? Bakura only calls people that when he's one step away from physically injuring them." He whispered.**

**I ignored him.**

**He spent the rest of period hunched over his book. The bell rang and the class room was filled with even more chatter and the sound of books dropping into bags, I zipped mine and stood to walk away when Melvin tapped my shoulder. I turned around, already irate, and faced the contrite boy.**

**My eyes caught on the large piece of paper he was holding. My breath hitched. It was beautiful.**

**It took a few seconds before I actually read the two words. The letters looped and swayed. Delicately dancing was the word: sorry. My name flowed like a sweet trickling river across the page. It was intricate and gorgeous.**

**I finally turned my eyes away from the artwork to look into Melvin's penitent violet gaze. Sometimes even I failed to notice that Melvin had a sweet side.**

**Sensing he was forgiven Melvin held out his arms as a question and I stepped into the apology hug. It was warm with a rough scent, like a foreign land.**

"… you coming inside or not Mr Touzoku?" I didn't look at him.

"I don't feel well sir."

Mr Hamil blinked at me then leaned against the door.

"Hmm? Then you should probably go to-."

"I know where to go thank you." I suddenly walked away leaving him staring at my back.

I ran again.

I didn't want to stop, to still. My feet sent shockwaves up my body with every step and jolted my heart where it was pounding in my chest. My arms shook and my bag bounced against my back. My neck ached and the wind cooled my face.

I heard crying and abruptly froze.

My bag dropped one last time and both of my feet were rooted to the spot.

My head swivelled slowly to my right.

The boys' bathroom, sobs were echoing form inside. I recognised them. It sounded like...

No, not again.

Not another memory…

Weeping and sobbing **filled the air.**

"**I said I was bloody sorry-!"**

"**Did not!" A quavering voice replied. It was ignored by the fifteen year old.**

"**It's his fault for being such a wuss! And worse yet, a wuss that doesn't know his limits!"**

"**At least my brother's not a good-for-nothing, white fluff ball!"**

**Now that stung.**

"**I'm right here Melvin. And the good-for-nothing fluff ball is the one helping your brother while you two have a shouting match." I snapped. But Bakura was unfazed and re-engaged Melvin.**

"**What did you say? That fluff ball's the one helping your brother while you decide to shout at me!"**

**I rolled my eyes at the similar statement.**

**This continued for some time until the sun was setting on bright, green grass. Marik had stopped crying long ago, seemed he just needed someone to hold him. His brother should have comforted him, not me, but it seemed the older twin had started a fight with Bakura just to avoid that. Bakura had retaliated to mask his guilt.**

"**Idiots." We muttered simultaneously and then laughed together. I laughed a little too hard and bumped my head against a tree trunk. Marik laughed harder as I rubbed the back of my head.**

"**Ow, bugger. Who put that tree there?"**

**Marik fell over and started rolling around on the grass with laughter. He rolled to the back of the tree and right down a slope.**

"**Wo-ah! Ugh! Oh!" He noisily made his way down, at the bottom he sat up with leaves in his hair.**

"**Who put that hill there?" I had to lie down and laugh then.**

**A pair of brand new white shoes stepped in front of my face. Oh great, not again.**

**Bakura assured me only last week that he'd stop stealing, especially when we didn't need anything. My laughter was fading as my elder brother's face came into view. I vaguely head Melvin calling Marik.**

"**You promised." I muttered. He merely sighed and looked down at the tell-tale objects.**

"**It's… harder than it seems Ryou."**

**I gazed sadly up at him until his hand drifted into my sight and I was lifted on to my feet.**

**We turned to Marik, who had managed to crawl back up the incline, and Melvin. We waved our goodbyes and began to walk home. I heard vague bits of our friends' conversation.**

"…**your back…?"**

"… **burning again."**

"…**check…soon… remember what…?"**

"**I will… dumb enough not to get serious…"**

_**Marik's back?**_** I thought when I couldn't hear them anymore.**

"**Hey 'Kura?"**

**A grunt.**

"**When exactly did Marik start to cry?"**

**A curiously raised eyebrow.**

"**Why?"**

"**Curious." I shrugged.**

**He studied me then looked forward thoughtfully.**

"**When we were done, he looked like he was in pain, guess when I went to check on him was when it happened. I put my hand on his back and he freaked out.**

"**Hmm."**

**Bakura opened his mouth but decided against questioning. He'd learned long ago not to.**

My eyes jerked to the door when I heard a gasp.

Curious, startled brown eyes met scared violet orbs. I vaguely heard a whispered call as I focused on keeping my eyes open, I didn't want this apparition to fade.

"Melvin!" the sound was dulled by the door but the torn, hurt emotion still penetrated it. My eyes didn't move but my attention was diverted, before I knew it the vague figure before me was wisping away.

"No… no…" I murmured.

"No, no, no!"

The door almost hit me as it was flung open.

"Melvin!" Marik shouted into my face. His darting lavender eyes were red from the tears that hadn't quite dried on his face. His blonde hair was wild, reminding me of his brother, and he was shaking.

"Ryou?" he whispered as his frantic eyes finally seemed to have caught me.

I blinked, then held out my arms, like I did more than a year ago. He dove into them, his shivering arms slipping through the space between my back and backpack, his slim fingers digging into my sides as he pressed his face to my chest. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and lay my cheek on his head.

"He was there… holding… hug-hugging… l-like he use-d to… I-I felt it Ryou!... he was!... he was there."

My school uniform would be soaked and I didn't care. I knew how he felt.

"I know. I know he was there."

I dropped my bag in front of the locked door and rubbed the damp stain on my shirt. I made my way toward the kitchen and then stopped. I felt empty but I couldn't bear the thought of eating. Realising I still had the keys in my hand I walked back to the front door and laid them on the nearby table before trudging up the stairs directly across from the door. I turned right and found my room door ajar at the far end.

I entered and with a flick if my wrist slammed it shut.

It looked like it didn't take long for dad to find a reason to run again. I gave the note I'd found on my door a cursory glance.

Rome this time huh?

I hoped it was as bloody fascinating as Egypt.

I slipped off my shoes as I approached my bed before flinging myself, face-first on to the white, puffy object that was my pillow. I felt, after a while, that I was trying to suffocate myself.

I stayed still regardless.

It was comfortable, maybe I'd get to see Bakura again for longer than a few sparse seconds… without my brother what was there to live for anyway… a light touch grazed my back and I shot up.

Supporting my upper body with my arms I searched my empty room until my gaze was snagged by something gold. I swung my legs around so I was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"The bloody hell is this?" I murmured, reaching out to it.

"Did dad leave this?" I asked out loud. It certainly looked Egyptian.

A rod, with a sphere at the tip and an eye engraved on to the sphere. What looked like bat wings unfolded from either side of the eye and the end tapered to a point.

I touched it gently and ran my fingers delicately over the smooth length slowly before grasping it.

"Ahem."

I froze.

I didn't want to look because I knew it was crazy. Marik and I were insane and acknowledging our delusions would only make it worse. Or were you supposed to face them?

Regardless of my indecision my eyes wandered to the source of the sound.

Melvin.

As clear as I'd seen him since… since he was alive. He was blushing for some reason.

I didn't want to move. Because every time I did, the delusion would come to an end.

I didn't want to look but when I did I couldn't bear to stop.

Seeing my friend or brother before me was a bittersweet insanity.

"Melvin…?"I whispered, allowing my lips the small movement.

"Um… hello." my eyelids flickered. I didn't think my illusion would speak. They never had before.

"… How long are you staying this time?" I had to know how long I could lose myself in this memory, I had a whole day left to do nothing but daydream, homework be damned.

He shrugged and looked me in the eye.

"Depends."

XOOX

"Depends."

"Depends? Depends on bloody what? Do you think I can get through the damn window or not?"

Melvin crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at his irate friend.

"Depends on whether you can shrink to the size of a child." he replied cuttingly.

Bakura closed his eyes and sighed.

"It is a bit small isn't it?" Melvin rolled his eyes.

"Ya don't say?" his voice was laden with sarcasm.

"Oi! I conceded, don't irritate me…"

"Just pick the lock, it should be fine."

"And the alarms?"

"You said the thing you stole from Kaiba not only loops video but disables alarms. It should be fine." he repeated forcefully.

"I distrust anything made by that rich twit but it seemed pretty legit. You know, I'd wonder why he built something so perfect for thieving but I've learned that some things shouldn't be questioned, like Ryou's 'hmm's." Bakura strolled to the door and bent down.

"So, all right. I'll pick the damn lock."

"You should listen to me more often, if our other plan works we'll be brothers in law."

"Marriage? I know you're not serious about that." Bakura scoffed as he fiddled with the door's lock.

Anyway, if that unlikely event were to occur, you'd have to listen to me because I'm older than you.'

Melvin snorted derisively and followed the older boy into the opened building.

Their footsteps faded down the hallway secretly followed by quieter echoes.

"Hey Bakura? You really think this is a good idea?"

I never said that Melvin."

"Then why are we doing this?"

"The thrill."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Cats have nine lives."

"You're not a cat though; you're more like a bat."

"I thought we talked about the hair jokes!"

* * *

Kami: It's okay, I'm okay now, and I'm sorry, deeply, for being a week late, ugh! I'm so procrastinate!

_**Choc: It's okay, we still love you-**_

**Vamp: **_**I**_** hate you, you interrupted –**

Kami: That's right! I need to thank reviewers.

**Vamp: ********

_**Choc: ~Language~**_

**Vamp: Shutup.**

Kami: Miss Macabre Grey and NightWitch1312 Thank you for your reviews and compliments and I love your stories

There are so many things that bother me about this chapter but it would take ages to list them and it's only a problem if one youz points it out, so I'm gonna leave it be. At least the chapter's long. And you got to meet my little friends.

**Vamp: I'm not usually this mean. Late nights for a month makes serious alter ego irritate.**

_**Choc: Zack came to visit, so that helped **_

**Vamp: Don't even mention that bloodsucker to me.**

_**Choc: Coming from someone named Vamp…**_

Kami: Okay! We've taken up enough of your time. Review please and goodbye. I hope Christmas was merry and that the New Year be very good to you

07/01/2013 Monday


	4. Chapter 3

**Vamp: You're cutting this close Kam.**

Kam: I know, but it's till Sunday in my side of the world and Ra help me I will upload this on time with seconds to spare.

_**Choc: A really quick sorry to all who had to wait extra-long for this without an apology chapter.**_

**Vamp: Gomenasai**

_**Choc: Jammer**_

Kam: Sorry.

_**All: Enjoy :D**_

Kam: Note-Mentions rape, kidnapping, torture and things of the like. I don't think it'll scar you but you should be warned, just in case.

_le Disclaimer_: I have no ownage of Yu-Gi-Oh but plenty of ownage of this story line (wanna know how I know? I checked)

* * *

_Like those waves my strength would rise and fall. One moment I would be bold enough to crash against a cliff and the next I would limply drift with the tide. – Marik_

**Chap 3**

**Waves: Strength and Weakness**

Was I crazy?

I could have sworn I saw Bakura earlier, lingering around Ryou at lunch time. And then there was later, in the bathroom…

Ryou took me home after that and barely said goodbye before hightailing it out of there before our hostility came back.

I didn't want to treat Ryou like that, now that I thought about it. He had been my best friend for four years.

So why was it so hard to go back to that?

Did I miss the background mischievousness of our older brothers? Did that play into our friendship somehow?

Sometimes I had the strength to fight the strange detachment we'd created. I wanted to apologise more times than I could count and then I would meet his eyes and give up.

I went limp.

Like right now, in front of my bedroom door. The house was quiet. Usually there'd be snores coming from the room next to Melvin and mine, Odion hardly slept lightly.

My head rested on the painted wood. I didn't have the strength to move.

Nevertheless I sluggishly lifted a tanned hand and pushed the door open. A chime made me freeze in my tracks. I dragged my bag off my shoulders and flung it lightly on to my bed. I stomped into my room and backhanded the door closed.

That chime made me swivel around to check. It was my door. Well, not my door but the object hung from the door handle.

I slowly approached it as the door swung gently back out as it slammed into the doorframe. The obect swung wildly, chiming all the time.

I snatched it lightly and drifted a thumb over the eye engraved in its centre.

It looked like a golden dream catcher. It was a triangular slab encircled by a ring that touched all three corners of it and further connected it to five pointed charms hung all around the ring; the entire thing was made of gold. Something I knew due to my father's work. I winced the moment thoughts of my father entered my mind.

I gripped the object tightly.

Melvin and I had actually had quite a bit in common with Bakura and Ryou. Both of our mothers are dead and our dads aren't the best. Though Bakura and Ryou didn't know the extent of my and Melvin's pain.

I sighed.

Who was I kidding?

Even dad had been scared of Melvin. It was my pain. My pain alone.

I closed my eyes…

… **and tears ran down my cheeks.**

**It hurt.**

**It hurt so much and all I could do was scream in pain. No one would hear me but I liked to think the pain subsided a little. I felt the clothes I was still wearing become soaked with liquid. I didn't turn, I knew what the liquid was and I couldn't muster the strength even if I wanted to confirm my suspicions.**

**My entire body had stiffened with the unbearable pain.**

**I could hear Melvin, over my cries, shouting in the next room and banging on the wooden door that kept him firmly inside and away from preventing our father's insane activities.**

**It felt like he was screaming and pounding against my head. He was saying he was there for me. He would help me. Let him out. It was a change from earlier where he'd been telling me to fight back. I couldn't move enough to anyway.**

**It seemed to go on for days, the torture. In reality it went on for a few hours. My father took to washing my back with water when he couldn't see his writing underneath the blood. The water made my upper body burn with renewed pain but at this point I could no longer find solace in my screams.**

**There was a time when I felt it was over. That I could rest my body. He had inscribed sigils all over my back, there was nothing else he could do I thought, in my sluggish and drugged with pain mind.**

**I had to be wrong of course.**

**He had yet to painstakingly carve a pretty border around the agony he caused me. That took another twenty minutes of renewed screams and finally, he was done. But my burning muscles refused to relax. They stiffened and refused to loosen after the last unexpected bout of pain.**

**Long after my father had left me I lay there, no longer able to move, and just rolled in the waves of pain that ceaselessly washed over me.**

**I do not remember falling asleep but I do remember waking up.**

**I felt slightly better. I was just grateful for the chance to move.**

**That was before I saw Odion, with that half completed scar on his face.**

"Erm…"

I twisted violently at this small noise partly furious that it had interrupted me, partly grateful that I hadn't gotten to that final horrifying memory and partly scared that someone had spoken when I knew I was alone in the house.

His brown eyes were wide as they took in my wild expression but not as wide as mine as I realised who those eyes belonged to. My shoulders drooped, my hands along with them and the golden object slipped off the door handle. Its leather strap swung back and forth as I stared blankly at the apparition before me.

"Bak… Bakura…" I murmured in a dead voice.

His rough face lit up in relief.

"Ah! So you do see … me …" his voice trailed off as I felt my limbs shaking.

I was going insane. That I knew for sure. I was staring at the ghost of my crush, the same guy that had killed my brother and left his own in a ridiculous stunt that caused the most harm to our families since our respective mothers died.

My grip on the foreign, obviously priceless object began to hurt my fingers so I decided to get rid of that pain.

I flung it as hard as I could at his concerned expression and watched it rebound off the wall and clatter onto the floor. My limbs suddenly lost strength again and my back hit the door as I slid, shakily, to the floor.

My tears, temporarily abated, returned and followed what felt like engraved pathways down my face. I looked up through the haze of my tears and decided I had enough strength to crawl over to the strange object. Once I had it in my hands I held it to my chest and gripped it until it left impressions in the skin I pressed it to.

"What the bloody hell did you do that for?"

I looked up, shocked, not registering that the apparition had made more than just a noise this time, it had _spoken_. I lunged upward already lifting the object.

"Don't' throw that! It's what's letting you-"

I couldn't pause my momentum and struck him anyway. The noise was real. It was metal against flesh. I gasped in shock but still couldn't think coherently.

"… see me." He finished with a pale hand to his face and white hair hiding his eyes.

"Die! Just die!" I screamed manically at him. He smirked.

"I'm already dead, boy."

"Then die again! And then again and then again! Over and over until I get used to it! Until I stop missing you!" I shouted brokenly, probably not making any sense at all. All I could think was _why?_

Why was he here?

Why couldn't I let him go even in his death?

Why did I keep imagining them here, with me?

Did my messed up past do this to me?

Was this just another one of my weak points?

I couldn't let the dead go.

I more than let them haunt me, I invited them to. This way, they never truly left me.

"So you do know me."

My blank eyes focused on him once more.

"Know you?" I asked incredulously. "Know you? I lo-!" I couldn't finish that sentence. He was dead. He'd been dead for what was probably weeks now. I was talking to his disembodied spirit, if that. I could be talking to my own hallucination for all I knew. And lastly, even before he died I had never been sure if what I had felt was love or just attraction. I couldn't outright say that I loved him.

I swallowed and tried again, deciding to humour what I had decided was my hallucination. Maybe I was daydreaming the perfect way to meet him for the first time again.

"Yes. I do. Or did."

Bakura's ghost frowned. I couldn't make up my mind on what he was.

"I should have thought so when I noticed you were friends with Ryou but I didn't expect you to know me. Know me well, at least."

My frazzled mind grasped something.

"Wait, you don't know _me_?"

He stared blankly at me, his white hair framed by the poster of some metal band that I had yet to take off my brother's side of the wall.

"Am I supposed to?" he inquired.

My eyes wandered around the room I shared - used to share with my brother as I thought. I was calming down a bit and could think without flinging the golden necklace about violently.

"Then why?"

He looked at me with a question in those mischievous eyes I missed.

"Why did you come to me?"

"The necklace drew me to you."

He was lying.

I had learned how to tell from Ryou. It was already thought out so he had no hesitation. It was perfectly timed, too perfectly.

"Why are you lying to me?" I bluntly questioned.

He blinked in surprise.

"Impossible. Only Ryou can tell when I'm lying."

"Not for the last two years bud."

Something finally registered in my mind and I frowned.

"Why didn't you go to Ryou? You obviously remember him, if not me." I added the last part a little bitterly. He looked cornered, probably because I had somehow driven him into a corner both verbally and physically.

"I-I." his hands were up defensively and his eyes kept darting around, looking for an escape route.

"Ah ah ahh." I hummed warningly when I noticed this and lightly pushed him. He fell lightly on Melvin's pillow as I'd backed him into a corner of Melvin's side of the room. I towered over the taller brit for once and, for a minute, I forgot that he was gone for good and now we were just as we always were. Ryou and Melvin were off somewhere, probably getting food or something and Melvin had left me here again with an annoying but attractive Bakura because he knew about my crush and the emotional discomfort it would cause me, being near him.

With this inner rant justifying my denial of recent events I gave the object of my affections a playful death-stare that clearly said he had to explain himself.

He smirked up at me and pointed out our seductive position.

"Rape." He stated jokingly.

Normally I would have laughed and backed off, understanding that it meant I was in his personal space. Now it just brought back memories.

"Don't say that." I murmured brokenly.

"Not after what happened." Tears threatened to overwhelm me again.

The necklace still in my hand caught a ray of sunlight's attention and glinted in its notice.

Our eyes drifted to it at the same time and Bakura saw his way out.

"That holds my soul, you know?"

I blinked back to him but he kept his eyes firmly on the mystical object in my hand.

"It-what?" I stuttered.

"It holds my soul. It's the reason you can still see me."

Now _my_ eyes were fixed on it, I didn't notice the brown eyed gaze drawn back to me as I stared with wonder at the foreign trinket.

"I don't know how, but you've been able to catch glimpses of me before." He frowned in confusion at my strange ability. "That necklace makes it permanent."

I blinked at it uncertainly.

How? Why? There were plenty more, detailed, questions swimming in my mind but those two blanketed them.

"I don't know if I can believe you."

Bakura hesitated before looking up at me vulnerably.

_Cute_. I couldn't help thinking.

"You must have known me for a while, right?"

My expression flickered at the unrelated question.

"A couple years, yes."

"Then have you… ever _truly _trusted me?"

XOOX

"Melvin, have you ever truly trusted me?" His purple eyed companion turned those eyes to him now; his expression was laced with confusion.

"Why?"

"Just answer the bloody question you twit." After some huffing he got an answer.

"There hasn't been a time when I haven't truly trusted you 'Kura." The white-haired boy stared at his friend, slightly bemused by the answer.

"You care when it counts." Melvin smiled. An honest to goodness smile. He wasn't smirking mischievously or grinning evilly. He was _smiling_.

_Odd, I thought he saved those for Ryou and his brother._ Bakura mused.

"Then please trust that I did the best I could, but not even I could anticipate this." The brit was staring down at a pile of papers. His friend approached him curiously and noticed the object the paler than usual boy was avoiding looking at. He took in the expression of terror on the other's face and so also averted his eyes to the papers. He didn't understand what was so scary about the stats of a new prisoner. That was when he sensed it.

He looked up at the concerned brit, knowing that the boy knew more than he and deciding not to give up hope, regardless.

"I trust that whatever is about to happen isn't your fault 'Kura."

The look of relief on Bakura's face was weak. How would Melvin react if they didn't get out of this situation?

The footsteps stopped and they knew they were surrounded.

They turned as the dangerous thugs dispersed and an obvious leader stepped out of the crowd.

"Who are you?" Melvin asked immediately. The greasy man smirked to the area next to him.

"Why don't you ask your quivering little girlfriend there?" his voice immediately annoyed Melvin.

"Quivering? Ha! It's always been a challenge for you to make me blink, Rat."

The unsavoury man frowned and Melvin gathered that what he didn't know was the man standing before them. Judging from Bakura's false bravado the man was extremely dangerous too.

"Why are you here?" Bakura questioned boldly. The man's, or Rat's yellow teeth glowed in the lamplight from the desk the two boys stood in front of and bodies writhed in the shadows.

"I'd ask the same of you, but I don't really care. If you must know, I got busted for dealing. You see the frown on albino's face? He knows that drug dealing ain't my thing. I prefer to traffic, see."

Melvin read Bakura's tense posture and prepared for the worst.

"Not just drugs or animals, no. I prefer to traffic humans." He said in a detached yet greedy way.

"My favourite nowadays is pretty boys. You can fetch a pretty price for a boy these days as manual labour _or _a sex toy."

Melvin knew now why Bakura had already given up. They were outnumbered and so did not stand a chance at getting away. And what happened after that would be…

This wasn't going to end well.

Both boys wished they had said a decent goodbye to their respective brothers before going out this time. They didn't wait for any particular signal. They simply moved in synch and charged at their doom, vowing to go down fighting and leaving the blood-stained policeman's body on the floor beside his desk.

XOOX

"Ahh!" his eyes flew open suddenly and he stared into concerned lavender orbs. A colour that should be familiar… the recognition faded quickly and he quickly winced lifting a hand to his white locks as he grimaced.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

I huffed.

"Like I should know. You just asked if I trusted you and then fainted like a girl." My necklace glinted once more and his eyes were drawn to it dangling above him from around my neck.

"Guess I didn't have to ask then." He muttered as I straightened up.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

* * *

Kam: Wow! That was angsty

**Vamp: That's the point Einstein**

Kam: Don't get snippy with me missy!

**Vamp: What? You wanna go grandma?**

(commence background bickering)

_**Choc: It's… been a loooong day. -_-'**_

_**All: Sorry again for the late update and don't forget to review**_


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